Chapter 239: Chapter 239

Li Lixing disagreed, "Just wash it if you use it wrongly, no big deal!"

"No way! While you’re here, you must follow my family’s rules." Li Yuzhu handed him a new bamboo cup and new willow brush, "This is yours, your cup doesn’t have writing, cups with writing are assigned to specific owners."

Li Lixing exhaled, "Got it, I won’t mix them up."

"Clean yourself up and come for breakfast; breakfast is millet porridge, boiled green beans, and fried small fish."

"Is there cow’s milk or sheep’s milk?" Li Lixing asked, watching Li Yuzhu’s back.

"No!" Li Yuzhu waved her hand.

If she doesn’t get to eat it, neither does he!

Li Lixing rubbed his stomach, sighing again. Without cow’s milk or sheep’s milk for breakfast, he wouldn’t be full.

Without someone waiting on him, Li Lixing was clumsy in everything he did.

But he had no choice, so he hastily brushed his teeth, washed his face, tousled and tied up his hair, and entered the kitchen.

The Li Family saw him come in; some nodded at him, others called his name.

Li Xing’an pointed to the bamboo stool beside him, "Sit next to me."

Li Lixing walked over and sat down.

On his left was Li Jing.

Li Jing was holding his bowl, drinking milk.

Li Lixing recognized the smell; it was sheep’s milk.

"Why don’t I have sheep’s milk? I want to drink sheep’s milk!" He looked at the millet porridge in his bowl, not wanting to eat a bite.

The yellow mushy bowl looked unappetizing no matter how he saw it.

Princess Consort Luling looked surprised.

The Princely Heir frowned as well, and Prince Luling’s face darkened further.

Li Xing’an sneered, "How old are you, still drinking sheep’s milk?"

The Great Princess sneered, "Li Lixing, only three-year-olds drink milk. Are you three years old?"

Li Yuzhu shook her head, "I thought you were a man. Who knew you’d fight for food with a three-year-old."

Li Lixing’s face burned with embarrassment, "I just... don’t . I used to drink milk every day at home."

He glanced at the millet porridge, full of disdain.

"Oh? You said your parents passed away? Yet you drink milk every day? Who’s so generous to get milk for you every day?" Li Yuzhu intentionally said.

"I..." Li Lixing opened his mouth, then swallowed his words.

No more, no more, the truth would come out.

He lowered his head, reluctantly eating the millet porridge.

Everyone finished their meals and then got busy with their tasks.

The Second Princess and Second Young Master went to the market just after dawn.

Others were at home; these days, everyone’s main job was preparing the Princely Heir’s wedding chamber.

Li Xing’an carried an axe, heading to the mountains to chop wood to make a new bed and cabinet for the Princely Heir.

The Great Princess volunteered to sew a new mosquito net for the Princely Heir.

Li Yuzhu followed the Princely Heir, busily painting walls in the bedroom.

When she came to find the Princely Heir, she also called Li Lixing over to help.

Having had his fill, Li Lixing was glad to follow Li Yuzhu in her tasks.

Who knew Li Yuzhu, always smiling outwardly, kept assigning him complex tasks?

For instance, asking him to apply white mud onto the walls.

What seemed fun and simple was actually tiring; his arms were sore before he’d covered half a wall.

Taking a breath, Li Yuzhu urged him again, "Hurry up, my brother’s getting married in a few days, we can’t delay setting up the new room."

Li Lixing felt tormented; he’d rather find that boy on the mountain.

The boy lived alone, surely with less work.

Determined, he put down the brush, shouting, "I’m thirsty, I want water."

Li Yuzhu, busy with the walls herself, glanced back at him and said while working, "Alright, there’s a bowl and a kettle on the outer room’s table. Wash your hands and get a drink."

Granted permission, Li Lixing bolted outside.

Hearing his footsteps fade, Li Yuzhu shook her head in amusement, "Thirsty, huh?"

The Princely Heir, painting on the other side, furrowed his brow, "Too young and unwilling to endure hardship. He’ll run away sooner or later."

Li Yuzhu said, "He won’t leave immediately. Despite being young, he’s very proud. If he claims to run away from home, will he actually come back right away? He’ll at least wander for a while, scaring his parents out of their wits—that’s his goal achieved."

The Princely Heir scoffed, "If Jingjing dared to run away from home boy, I’d follow family discipline immediately."

Li Yuzhu laughed, "Our family upbringing is so good, Jingjing wouldn’t run away like him. You’re worrying for nothing, brother."

The Princely Heir replied, "I hope so."

Li Yuzhu thought to herself, although Prince Luling is muddle-headed, and his children each have their issues, none have ever run away from home like Li Lixing when things don’t go their way.

His father is still the County Magistrate, isn’t he afraid of being kidnapped by bad people and used as leverage?

A ten-year-old child, reasoning says, isn’t that young.

Yet still so irresponsible!

Li Lixing didn’t go for water but ran outside the house instead.

The Li Family was all busy, and no one paid attention to him.

He recalled that Mu Yuanxiu lived on Niu Guan Mountain, to the left of the Li Family’s house.

Li Lixing ran all the way to the mountain’s halfway point.

However, he got lost!

No way to retreat, and advancing... he still couldn’t find a path forward.

Aren’t there supposed to be paths in the mountains? Where’s the path?

Li Lixing was dumbfounded.

Because the surrounding trees all looked the same.

Li Lixing ran left and right, running until he was out of breath, yet he still couldn’t find a way out.

And more frightening for him, he discovered that he had been going in circles!

The branch he broke when he arrived was now before him again!

"Is anyone there, help—" Li Lixing shouted at the top of his lungs in panic, "Help!"

Mu Yuanxiu sat leisurely on a tree, chiseling holes into a bamboo tube.

He planned to make a bamboo flute.

When Li Lixing ran up the mountain, he noticed, but he didn’t intend to meet Li Lixing right away.

He had to give this reckless kid a scare.

"Is anyone there? Waaa, help—" Li Lixing shouted for quite a while, but no one came. Instead, some strange calls, possibly from birds or beasts, unnerved him so much he sat heavily on the ground, trembling as he cried.

Mu Yuanxiu brushed the bamboo shavings off his clothes and sneered.

He inserted the half-made bamboo flute into his belt and slid down from the tree.

Light-footed, he landed nearly soundlessly.

He picked up the basket hanging on the tree and walked toward Li Lixing. Latest content published on novel·fıre·net

"Eh? Isn’t this Li Lixing? Why are you here?" Mu Yuanxiu feigned surprise as if seeing Li Lixing just now.

Li Lixing heard the voice and immediately scrambled to get up.

He quickly wiped away his tears and turned to face Mu Yuanxiu.

Seeing his tear-streaked red eyes and nose, Mu Yuanxiu couldn’t help but smile.

An opponent too weak, how boring.

"Mu... Mu Yuanxiu? What are you doing here?" Li Lixing patted his sleeves, took a breath, and said calmly.

I must act calm, or else I’ll be looked down upon, Li Lixing thought to himself.

"Oh, I’m hunting. A leopard has come to this mountain, but I’m not sure where it’s hiding. I’m looking for it right now." Mu Yuanxiu said, patting the bow and arrows behind him.

Li Lixing’s face turned pale, "Le... Leopard?"

"Yes, it’s a leopard. Back in February, several of the Li Family’s siblings worked together to kill a leopard." Mu Yuanxiu said, "Haven’t you seen the leopard skin hanging in the main house of their North Courtyard?"

Li Lixing shook his head, "I didn’t notice."

Mu Yuanxiu glanced around, "By the way, why are you here? Aren’t you with the Li Family?"

Li Lixing glanced at him and said, "Aren’t you bored living alone in the mountains? How about I stay with you?"

"Stay with me?" Mu Yuanxiu’s lips curled slightly, "Sure."

Li Lixing breathed a sigh of relief, "Great, we’re about the same age, we’ll definitely get along."

Thinking too much, Mu Yuanxiu looked at him coolly.

"It’s almost noon, I need to go home and cook." Mu Yuanxiu pushed aside a clump of weeds in front of him and strode forward.

"Yeah, it’s almost noon, let’s go eat." Li Lixing quickly followed in Mu Yuanxiu’s footsteps. He looked around, "Oh, so this is how you get out, I’ve been looking for a while..."

"It’s summer now, with dense foliage covering the mountain and overgrown weeds obscuring the path. Don’t run around carelessly. There aren’t many people in the mountains, if you get lost, you can shout all you want, but no one will come to save you. Meeting me today was your good luck." Mu Yuanxiu said flatly.

"Got it." Li Lixing exhaled.

He’s not going to run; he’s just going to live on this mountain, following Mu Yuanxiu.

Mu Yuanxiu wound through the forest, and before long, he led Li Lixing to his small cabin.

Li Lixing exclaimed in surprise, "How long have you lived here?"

Mu Yuanxiu glanced at him, "Since I can remember, I’ve lived here."

Li Lixing took a deep breath; if Mu Yuanxiu could live alone in the mountains, so could he.

Living here means not having to study every day, which is wonderful.